The answer is short: yes. Law No. 7418 of 13/10/2022 brought internet news sites within the scope of Press Law No. 5187.
The Change of Scope
Art. 1, as amended by Law No. 7418, provides: this Law covers the printing and publication of printed works and internet news sites.
The definition of a periodical in Art. 2 was also widened: it means printed works such as newspapers and magazines published at particular intervals, together with the publications of news agencies and internet news sites.
Where Is the Declaration Filed?
Art. 7 is the same: it is sufficient that a declaration be filed with the public prosecutor's office of the place where the place of management is located. The declaration shows the name and nature of the publication, the intervals of publication, the place of management, the names and addresses of the owner, of the representative where there is one and of the responsible editor, and the type of publication and the electronic service address.
The Transition Period Has Expired
The Other Obligations That Come with the Declaration
| Obligation | Article | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| Declaration | Art. 7 | Notification to the prosecutor's office + an electronic service address |
| Imprint | Art. 4 | Six items, directly reachable from the home page, under a "contact" heading |
| Date stamp | Art. 4 | First publication and update dates, in a way that does not change on each access |
| Two-year archive | Art. 10 | With accuracy and integrity ensured |
| Reply and correction | Art. 14 | Within one day at the latest, with a URL link |
| Responsible editor | Art. 5 | Every periodical has a responsible editor |
What If No Declaration Is Filed?
The outcome differs from the print press. The paragraph added to Art. 8 by Law No. 7418 provides that the suspension sanction does not apply to internet news sites. Instead, where a deficiency is not cured within two weeks, the public prosecutor's office applies to the criminal court of first instance for a finding that the status of internet news site has not been acquired.
Who Must File?
What is decisive is whether the site produces news. A site falling within the definition in Art. 2 - that is, publishing news at particular intervals - is a periodical. A personal diary or a single-subject information site may fall outside the definition; we deal with the boundary in what counts as an internet news site.
To see all the obligations with their bases in one tickable list, see the compliance checklist.
Summary
- Internet news sites were brought within Law No. 5187 by Law No. 7418 and added to the definition of periodical, so filing a declaration is mandatory.
- The declaration is filed with the prosecutor's office for the place of management and shows the electronic service address.
- If a deficiency is not cured, the sanction is not closure but a finding that the site status has not been acquired.